Challenges of Wildlife Exploitation in the Shutshe Groupement, Lomela in Democratic Republic of the Congo
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59228/rcst.026.v5.i2.285Keywords:
Exploitation, wildlife, rarity, extinction, environment, natural resource managementAbstract
Africa is home to an exceptionally rich wildlife biodiversity, but this heritage is increasingly threatened by excessive and unsustainable exploitation. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the situation is particularly alarming, with a drastic decline in populations of large mammals, several of which are now extinct or critically endangered. This study, conducted between October and December 2018 in Oman’esanga, located in the Amenga forest (Shutshe group, Lomela territory, Sankuru province), aims to assess the exploitation of wildlife and its impact on local biodiversity. A random sample of 60 hunters was surveyed. Results show that 34 species are actively hunted, primarily for economic reasons. The most targeted species include Cephalophus dorsalis, Phacochoerus africanus, Cercopithecus schmidti, Atherurus africanus, and Tragelaphus scriptus. However, the exploitation is non-selective and involves destructive methods such as traps, bushfires, and firearms, undermining species regeneration and degrading natural habitats. The study reports the local extinction of five species, including the elephant (Loxodonta africana) and the lion (Panthera leo), as well as the rarity of eight others and the imminent threat of extinction for nine additional species, including the Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis). Some local conservation initiatives are emerging, such as the formal ban on hunting certain emblematic species. Nonetheless, the lack of effective regulation, widespread rural poverty, and easy access to firearms continue to exert intense pressure on wildlife populations. This research highlights the urgent need to develop participatory and sustainable resource management policies that incorporate local knowledge to preserve wildlife biodiversity in rural areas like Oman’esanga.
Downloads
References
Ajayi, S. S. (1997). Conservation of wildlife resources in Africa. Ibadan University Press.
Quatrième rapport national sur la mise en oeuvre de la Convention sur la diversité biologique. (2009). Ministère de l’Environnement, Conservation de la Nature et Tourisme.
État des lieux de la biodiversité en RDC. (2009). Ministère de l’Environnement.
Banque mondiale. (1990). Living with wildlife: Resources management with local participation in Africa (Document technique no 130).
Béné, C., Neiland, A. E., & Allison, E. H. (2009). Governance and the vulnerability of small-scale fisheries to climate change and financial crises. In FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Proceedings (No. 24, pp. 53–64). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Bennett, E. L., Eves, H. E., Robinson, J. G., & Wilkie, D. S. (2007). Why is eating bushmeat a biodiversity crisis? Conservation in Practice, 8(1), 28–29.
Bertrand, A. (1993). La foresterie rurale participative : Les conditions de la participation des ruraux à la gestion décentralisée des ressources naturelles. Arbres, forêts et communautés rurales, (2), 25–28.
Bigalke, R. C. (1964). The importance of wild animals as a source of food in Africa south of the Sahara. Biological Conservation, 6(1), 32–39.
Bonannée, M. (2007). Évaluations nationales : Cas de la République Centrafricaine. In SILVA/RIAT (Éds.), Étude comparative des textes législatifs et réglementaires relatifs à la gestion de la faune et de la chasse dans les cinq pays du bassin du Congo (pp. 1–65). SILVA/RIAT.
Caspary, H. U. (1999). Utilisation de la faune sauvage en Côte d’Ivoire et Afrique de l’Ouest : Potentiels et contraintes pour la coopération au développement. GTZ.
Chardonnet, P. (1995). Faune sauvage africaine : La ressource oubliée (Tomes 1–2). Commission européenne, Fondation internationale pour la sauvegarde de la faune, & CIRAD-EMVT.
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Czudek, R. (2001). Utilisation rationnelle de la faune sauvage en Afrique (Document de travail no 1). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Descochers, A., Denis, R., Rehaume, C., & Hélène, D. (2009). Manuel de foresterie. Ordre des ingénieurs forestiers du Québec.
Eurata. (2006). Profil environnemental de la République Démocratique du Congo : Rapport final (Contrat no 2005/105393).
Fa, J. E., Currie, D., & Meeuwig, J. (2003). Bushmeat and food security in the Congo Basin: Linkages between wildlife and people’s future. Environmental Conservation, 30(1), 71–78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0376892903000067
Fa, J. E., Peres, C. A., & Meeuwig, J. (2003). Bushmeat exploitation in tropical forests: An intercontinental comparison. Conservation Biology, 16(1), 232–237.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1990a). The ADMADE programme: A traditional approach to wildlife management in Zambia.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1990b). Wildlife utilization and food security in Africa.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. (1990c). Wildlife utilization in Africa (FAO Forestry Paper No. 99).
Hagendorens, J. (1975). Faune du Congo et de l’Afrique centrale. Presses de l’Université Lovanium.
Heymans, J. C. (1982). Utilisation de la viande de chasse et élevage de certaines espèces animales au Zaïre et au Bénin. In Tropical and Andean products for the benefit of man: International colloquium proceedings (pp. 267–273).
Ichikawa, M. (2006). Food use and sharing among the Central African foragers. African Study Monographs, 33, 27–40.
Inogwabini, B. I., Hall, J. S., Vedder, A., Curran, B., Yamagiwa, J., & Basabose, A. (2005). The bushmeat trade in the Congo Basin. Oryx, 39(1), 21–26.
Kalala, M. (2007). Contribution à l’étude de la pratique de la chasse dans la réserve de biosphère de Luki : Cas de l’enclave de Tsumba-Kituti [Mémoire de fin d’études, Université de Kinshasa].
Kiaro, M. A. (2013). Identification des menaces sur la faune sauvage mammalienne dans le domaine de chasse et réserve de Bombo-Lumene [Mémoire de licence, Université de Kinshasa].
Lindsey, P. A., Balme, G. A., Funston, P. J., Henschel, P. H., & Hunter, L. T. (2013). The trophy hunting of African lions: Scale, current management practices and factors undermining sustainability. PLOS ONE, 8(9), Article e73808. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073808
Loi no 14/003 du 11 février 2014 relative à la conservation de la nature. (2014). Journal officiel de la République Démocratique du Congo.
Megevand, C., Mosnier, A., Hourticq, J., Sanders, K., Doetinchem, N., & Streck, C. (2013). Déforestation dans le bassin du Congo : Que peut-on faire ? Banque mondiale.
Hagendorens, J. (1975). Dictionnaire otetela-français (Série III, Vol. 5). Ceeba Publications.
Mumba, D. A. (2019). Notes de cours de statistiques, biométrie et principes d’expérimentation. Université Notre-Dame de Tshumbe.
Nasi, R., Taber, A., & Van Vliet, N. (2011). Empty forests, empty stomachs? Bushmeat and livelihoods in the Congo and Amazon Basins. International Forestry Review, 13(3), 355–368. https://doi.org/10.1505/146554811798293872
Noss, A. J. (1998). The impacts of BaAka net hunting on rainforest wildlife. Biological Conservation, 86(2), 161–167.
Okitawonga, O. A. (2017). Techniques de conservation des denrées alimentaires d’origine animale dans la cité de Lomela [Travail de fin de cycle, Université Laurent Désiré Kabila de Lomela].
Plumptre, A. J., Behangana, M., Davenport, T. R. B., et al. (2007). The biodiversity of the Albertine Rift. Wildlife Conservation Society.
Roth, H. H., & Merz, G. (1997). Wildlife resources: A global account of economic use. Springer.
Snoeks, J., Vreven, E., & Hanssens, M. (2011). The ichthyological diversity of the Congo Basin. In W. R. T. Darwall et al. (Eds.), The diversity of life in African freshwaters (pp. 141–151). International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Souria, G. (1990). La réserve de faune de Nazinga : Un modèle, une source d’espoir. Nature et Faune, 6(3), 12–20.
Toirambe, B. (2007a). Les produits forestiers non ligneux en République Démocratique du Congo (Document de travail). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Toirambe, B. (2007b). Contribution des produits forestiers non ligneux à la sécurité alimentaire et à l’économie des ménages en RDC. Ministère de l’Environnement.
Toirambe, B. B. (2007c). Analyse de l’état des lieux du secteur des produits forestiers non ligneux et évaluation de leur contribution à la sécurité alimentaire en RDC (GCP/RAF/398/GER).
Union internationale pour la conservation de la nature. (1994). Lignes directrices pour les catégories de gestion des aires protégées.
Van Vliet, N., & Nasi, R. (2008). Hunting for livelihoods in northeast Gabon: Patterns, evolution, and sustainability. Ecology and Society, 13(2), Article 33.
Van Vliet, N., Quiceno-Mesa, M. P., Cruz-Antia, D., Johnson, N., & Moreno, J. (2015). The uncovered volumes of bushmeat commercialized in the Amazonian trifrontier between Colombia, Peru and Brazil. Ethnobiology and Conservation, 4, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.15451/ec2015-7-4.4-1-9
Wandja, O. W. F., Djamba, O. M., & Lukuke, A. Y. (2017). Menaces sur la faune sauvage mammalienne du domaine de chasse et réserve de Bombo-Lumene. Revue du CRDIUPN, 071C, 81–104.
Wilkie, D. S., & Carpenter, J. F. (1999). Bushmeat hunting in the Congo Basin: An assessment of impacts and options for mitigation. Biodiversity and Conservation, 8(7), 927–955. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008877309871
Wilkie, D. S., Starkey, M., Abernethy, K., et al. (2005). Role of prices and wealth in consumer demand for bushmeat in Gabon, Central Africa. Conservation Biology, 19(1), 268–274.
World Bank. (1990). World development report: Poverty. Oxford University Press.
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE Publications.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lukuke et al.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
